How Much Does a Week in Hanoi Cost? Backpacker, Mid-Range and Comfortable Budgets

Hanoi is one of the best-value capitals in Asia. You can eat very well for a few dollars, cross the city for less than a coffee costs at home, and still afford a comfortable hotel. Here's what a week actually costs, based on typical prices in 2026. At the time of writing, one US dollar is roughly 25,000–26,000 VND.

Accommodation (per night)

• Hostel dorm bed: about 150,000–300,000 VND
• Simple guesthouse or budget hotel room: about 400,000–700,000 VND
• Mid-range hotel in or near the Old Quarter: about 800,000–1,500,000 VND
• Upscale hotel: from about 2,500,000 VND and up

Prices rise around Tết and on holiday weekends.

Food (per day)

• Eating local: phở or bún for breakfast (40,000–70,000), bún chả or rice for lunch (40,000–60,000), street food dinner (60,000–120,000), coffee and drinks (40,000–80,000). About 200,000–350,000 VND a day.
• Mix of local and restaurants: about 400,000–700,000 VND.
• Mostly restaurants and bars: 800,000 VND and up.

Getting around (per day)

• Mostly walking and Grab bikes: about 50,000–150,000 VND.
• Grab cars: about 150,000–300,000 VND.
• Airport transfer: bus 86 around 45,000–50,000 VND, or about 250,000–350,000 VND by car.

Sights and activities

Many of Hanoi's best things are free: Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Old Quarter, West Lake at sunset, the weekend walking streets. Temples and museums usually charge small entrance fees, often under 50,000–100,000 VND. A water puppet show costs more, roughly 100,000–200,000 VND depending on seats.

Day trips

A group day tour to Ninh Bình or Hạ Long Bay typically costs somewhere around 700,000–1,500,000 VND, depending on what's included. Overnight cruises cost much more, and the range is huge.

Daily totals

• Backpacker: about 500,000–900,000 VND a day (roughly $20–35), with a dorm bed, street food and Grab bikes.
• Mid-range: about 1,500,000–2,500,000 VND a day (roughly $60–100), with a nice hotel, a mix of local and restaurant meals, and some cars.
• Comfortable: 3,500,000 VND a day and up (roughly $140+).

A sample mid-range week

• 7 nights in a mid-range hotel: about 7,000,000 VND
• Food and coffee: about 3,500,000 VND
• Local transport: about 1,000,000 VND
• Sights and a water puppet show: about 500,000 VND
• One Ninh Bình day tour: about 1,000,000 VND
• Total: about 13,000,000 VND (roughly $500–520), not counting flights.

Ways to save

• Eat where locals queue; it's cheaper and usually better.
• Use Grab bikes for solo trips.
• Change money in the city rather than at the airport.
• Travel outside Tết and big holidays.

Written in October 2026. Prices are typical ranges and exchange rates move; use them for planning, not as quotes.